The other companies were La Suerte Cigar and Cigarette Factory, Mighty Corp. and JT International Philippines, which are also asking the courts to declare the administrative order as invalid.

Health Undersecretary Alex Padilla in one of the case hearings emphasized the urgency for the government to impose effective measures to curb tobacco consumption, especially among the youth.Padilla said also in a statement that as a signatory to theWorld Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the administrative order is the fulfillment of the country’s international obligation to impose specific regulations on the packaging and labeling of cigarettes.

Graphic health information has been shown to be effective with youth and have inspired smokers to quit the habit, with almost half of them smoking less frequently because of the graphic information.